A/N: Sorry for the delay, I've been busy the last week, and I probably will be busy the next few weeks with school and things. I'll try and update again as soon as possible. Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter or any lyrics from the song 'Sad Song' by Oasis

Chapter 2: Realizing the Truth

Sing a sad song

In a lonely place

Coming out of Dumbledore's office, I stopped by the stone gargoyle momentarily to take a deep breath. That had to be the most intense, and shortest conversation I have ever had with Dumbledore. The intense rage I could see behind his wise old eyes and at the same time a great sadness I never thought that I would ever see.

I started heading down the hallway towards the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was. The only things Dumbledore had said when I told him what had happened was 'Oh' and 'I see.' It seemed like he would have said something more. When I first told him what had happened, he seemed to almost be in shock. Then he started pacing. I finally told him where to meet Professor McGonagall at, and he had just nodded at me with his intense grave eyes. I took this as the signal to leave.

Throwing it all away

I finally arrived at the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was. She was tending to a few students who were in there for the night. When she noticed me standing at the door, she hurried over. "What seems to be the problem Miss Granger?" I took a quick breath and then told her, "Professor McGonagall sent me. A student has been severely hurt. She wanted me to come and get you because she was scared to move her."

She glanced at me seeming to contemplate how bad the situation was by just looking at me, "Alright then. Well take me to where this student is."

I nodded and started leading the way back to the Room of Requirement. All I could hear was both of our footsteps on the marble floor as I led the way back. Finally breaking the silence, Madam Pomfrey asked, "If you don't mind me asking, would you happen to know which student it is we are attending to?" I swallowed the lump forming in my throat about being reminded of who this had happened to. I glanced over my shoulder at her and whispered, "It was Ginny Weasley." The air seemed to get tense once I had told Madam Pomfrey who was hurt. She knew that whatever had happened was bad enough for me to not want to talk about it. When we finally arrived where the room was located at, I noticed that Malfoy wasn't anywhere in sight.

I started walking to where the door was slightly open. "She's in here." I said as Madam Pomfrey followed me over to the door. I pushed the door open. Crabbe and Goyle were both missing also. I felt a hurt run through my stomach when I saw Professor McGonagall sitting on the floor beside Ginny. McGonagall was holding Ginny's hand, but Ginny seemed to be unconscious right now. Madam Pomfrey pushed past me and headed over to where McGonagall was sitting.

I finally realized that my legs did still work, and I started walking over to where everyone was. McGonagall didn't seem to realize I was in here. Madam Pomfrey was trying to figure out how much damage had been done to Ginny. Finally Professor McGonagall said, "Albus went ahead and decided to floo St. Mungo's. It's not that he didn't think you could heal her, but he thinks it would be best if she was away from the school for a while so that she could recover."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, "I understand. The physical damage doesn't seem too bad, but it's the mental damage I'm more worried about."

Professor McGonagall sighed. Apparently she noticed me out of the corner of her eye. She gently laid Ginny's hand down, and then stood up and walked over to me. "Miss Granger, I appreciate you going to get Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey for me, but I think you need to get back to your dorm. Some of the healers are on their way from St. Mungo's to get Ginny. I would also suspect that Albus decided to floo Arthur and Molly Weasley. It might be a good idea for you to tell Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter. I believe that both of them deserve to know."

Nobody says it's wrong

So we don't ask why

I nodded slowly, but I had never taken my eyes off Ginny's prone form as Madam Pomfrey worked over her trying to determine the extent of physical damage. "Would it be okay Professor if I just stayed until the healers from St. Mungo's get here? I promise that after that I will go back to the dorms and tell Ron and Harry about what has happened. I have a feeling they are waiting up for me anyway, but I just want to make sure she gets on her way safely." I felt more tears forming behind my eyes.

I finally looked up and meet Professor McGonagall's eye. She looked just as worn out as I felt. Slowly her eyes wandered back over to Ginny's lifeless body. "Okay Hermione, you can stay until they get here, but once they are here I'm going to have to ask you to leave." I nodded, "I understand Professor."

What we don't see

Well it can't be real

What we don't touch we cannot feel

I slowly walked over to where Ginny was laying. I knelt down beside her, taking the place that McGonagall had recently occupied. I gently took up Ginny's hand and held it in between my own. I felt Madam Pomfrey's gaze fall on me as she said, "She is in and out of consciousness. It might help if you try talking to her." She slowly stood up and went over to where McGonagall was standing. They started conversing quietly.

I stared down at Ginny's face. She looked like she was only sleeping. If it wasn't for the few bruises on her face, and a few on her arms, I actually would have thought nothing was wrong. She almost looked peaceful, but I could see the worry sketched across her face. Earlier I had thought she was going to die, but now I was worried about how she was going to handle everything mentally. I had the feeling that nothing would ever be the same again. There would be less carefree days ahead. "Everything's going to be alright now Ginny," I whispered. "I promise they will never hurt you again." I felt like crying. I felt like breaking down and letting everything out, but I knew I couldn't. Not when Ginny was here. Not when she needed support. I slowly brought her hand up and gently kissed it. I set it back down and whispered softly, "I'm so sorry."

Cause it's all just the same at the end of the day

Don't throw it all away

For a moment, her face seemed to scrunch up in pain, but then it was replaced be here eyes slowly fluttering open. She blinked a few times, probably trying to get her bearings. Then, her once brilliant blue eyes locked on mine. They looked glossy and confused. She stared at me, probably trying to figure out if I was real or part of a dream. Then she whispered my name in an almost inaudible scratchy voice, "Hermione…" I didn't hear McGonagall or Madam Pomfrey talking anymore behind me. They must have heard Ginny too. Ginny took a few deep breaths and started to speak again. I wanted to tell her to stop and to save her strength, but the words were lost on me. She barely whispered out to where I had to strain closer to hear what she said, "I love you…" Her eyes fluttered for a second, and then they finally closed. She had slipped back into unconsciousness. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding until now. I whispered back to her now unmoving form, "I love you to Ginny. I'm just so sorry that this happened to you." I finally heard McGonagall and Madam Promfrey start chatting again. I guess they thought Ginny speaking was something worth tuning into.

I continued to sit with Ginny and continued to talk to her in soft comforting words. She kept drifting in and out of consciousness, but she never did speak to me again. Finally the crew from St. Mungo's showed up. Professor McGonagall gave me a firm look which I took as the signal to leave. I stood up and headed towards the door, but only before I chanced one more glance back at Ginny. The healers from St. Mungo's was huddled over her along with Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. I let out a sigh of almost relief. At least Ginny would be able to get some help now, and she would also be with her parents shortly. My gaze was cut off from Ginny as I walked out the door and cut the corner down the hall.

We as people, are just walking around

Our heads are firmly fixed in the ground

I slowly made my way back to the Gryffindor common room. I knew Ron and Harry would both still be awake waiting for me. They said they would wait up until I got back, and since I was arriving about three hours later than I told them I would be, I know they were still waiting up worried about me. Before I knew it though, I was standing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. I uttered the password, and the portrait swung open. Once Ron and Harry had spotted me as I slowly made my way to sit by them in front of the fire, they could tell that something was horribly wrong.

"Where the bloody hell have you been Hermione! We were starting to get worried!"

I plopped down on the couch by Harry, and I looked from one to the other briefly before my vision clouded with tears. Seeing them just made me realize the cold hard truth of everything that had happened. I broke down sobbing into my own hands. I heard mumbled words from Harry saying to Ron, "You didn't have to yell at her…" I felt the couch shift a little as Harry moved next to me. I felt his arms wrap around me, and I pulled him close sobbing hard onto his shoulder. I felt the couch move again and more arms wrap around me as Ron sat on the other side of me. I heard him whisper, "I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to make you cry."

He hadn't made me cry. I was well on my way there once I had just seen the two of them.

Finally after crying hard for about five minutes, I felt myself starting to calm down. It didn't stop the tears from falling though. I slowly started to move away from Harry, and I felt both of them pull away to give me room to think and breath. I could feel that my face was red and blotchy from crying, and I tried to wipe some of the tears away with the sleeve of my robe. I know it didn't help any at all. I finally looked up and met Harry's and then Ron's gaze. Their eyes were both filled with concern.

Harry asked in a hushed tone, "What's wrong Hermione?"

I know they were concerned, and they had every right to be. I stood up and started pacing in front of the fire. I could feel both their gazes following me. They were giving me time to figure out what I needed to say. Finally I stopped pacing and looked up at them. I have to tell them. They have to know, and they have to know now. I let out a frustrated sigh, and I slowly said, "I have some really bad news…" I was scared to tell them, but I had too. Why does this have to be so damn hard? An almost painful silence filled the room once I had said this.

Ron finally spoke, "Well whatever it is Hermione, it can't be that bad?" He paused for a moment, "Can it?"

More tears seemed to leak out of my eyes by just listening to how innocent and carefree Ron sounded. Both Ron and Harry's lives were about to change, just like mine had. They were both about to know the sad truth about tonight's events, and the way they thought of everything would change. I just knew it would.

"Ron…," I whispered, "…dammit…" I had to tell him before I lost anymore of my dwindling nerve. "…It's about Ginny." Okay. I had brought up the topic, and now I just had to tell them what had happened.

I saw Ron starting to stand up, "What wrong with Ginny? Is she…" He sounded so scared in that moment. "Is she okay?"

I walked over to Ron and urged him to sit down. I knelt in front of him and gripped his hands tight. It was now or never. "She's not okay Ron…Ginny's been raped." I barely whispered out the words that nobody ever wants to her. I watched as a thousand emotions ran through his eyes in that one instant.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

He was in shock. I glanced at Harry, and I could see the same thing running through his eyes. They were feeling all the emotions I had felt.

Ron started to stand up so I let go of his hands so he could. He started pacing in front of the fire just like I had been only moments before. I slid into his unoccupied seat. At least both of them know now. Finally Ron stopped pacing, and I felt his gaze on me. I looked up into his eyes, and he asked the dreaded question I knew that would be eventually coming. "Who?"

I let my gaze fall from his face to the floor. I think he had an idea who had done the deed, but he wanted to hear it. He wanted me to confirm what he was thinking. I didn't want to answer the question.

He asked me again, "Who did this to her Hermione?" I felt Harry's gaze watching me now too.

I met Ron's eyes again. I just had to tell him that all three of them were responsible. "Malfoy." I muttered disgustingly. I saw pure rage form in his eyes once I had confirmed what he was thinking. He started pacing again. I then said the dreaded word that neither one of them wanted to hear, "And…"

Ron's head snapped back up from being in thought, as did Harry's. They both said it at the same time in semi-horror. "And?"

"Crabbe and Goyle were also there," I barely uttered the words out. Ron's gaze went back to the ground, and I could see his fist clenched tight and his jaw flex. I don't think I had ever seen him that angry before. Harry was in shock and was just staring into the fire.

I let out a frustrated, angry sigh. Everything had just changed for us three. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. I looked back up at Ron, and he finally seemed to be relaxing a bit. Then I knew what was about to happen. The shock and anger were wearing thin. He was about to break down and cry. As I started to get up off the couch and move towards him, he was already falling down to the floor in tears. I was by his side in an instant and hugging him tight. His strong arms wrapped around me, and for the first time in my life, I watched as Ronald Weasley broke completely down. I felt him sobbing into my shoulder. He was uttering inaudible words.

Need a shoulder? Well if that's the case

You know there's nothing I wouldn't do

I pulled him as close to me as I could. I gently muttered, "Shh Ron. I got you. Everything will be okay. Ginny is going to be okay." I gently kissed the top of his head. "Just let it all out." I turned my gaze onto Harry, but he wasn't sitting on the couch anymore. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a retreating form heading up to the Boy's Dormitories. Harry was in for a long night of tossing and turning, just like Ron and I were.

Ron finally seemed to be calming down. He pulled away from my hold slightly. "Sorry about that. Everything just seemed to hit me at once."

"I understand Ron. I felt the same way only just a bit ago." I gave him a weak smile.

He finally let go of me and started standing up. He then helped me to a standing position also.

"Ginny's been taken to St. Mungo's. Your parents are probably already informed of the situation. You'll probably be able to go see her in the next few days," I said slowly.

He just nodded at me. "Yeah…okay…" He seemed so confused and lost.

"I know that you probably won't, but do try and get a bit of sleep. I saw Harry head up a while ago." He nodded in response as I went on, "We also won't know any information until in the morning. Just please try and get some rest, and then in the morning well go talk to Dumbledore or McGonagall about what's happened."

He again nodded, "Alright. I'll try and get some sleep. Night." He whispered. I watched his retreating form slowly going up to the Boy's Dormitories.

We're throwing it all away at the end of the day

After he was out of sight I whispered, "Goodnight…" It was going to be a long night. The truth was out. Probably everyone in the Weasley family now knew what had happened. The evil black truth. Everything was changing.

I made my way up to the 6th Year Girl's Dormitories. Without even changing clothes, I collapsed into my four poster bed. I was dead tired, but I knew I wasn't going to go to sleep for a while. All the images of the past few hours flashed through my head. At least the Weasley's know now.

Sing a sad song

In a lonely place

The truth was out. Everybody was going to slowly realize that nothing was every going to be the same again.

The sun is coming up but it's going down

But it's all just the same at the end of the day

Throwing it all away